How To Choose A Pet When Moving To A New Home

Owning and caring for a pet can take quite a bit of commitment, and that’s one of the things that few children will understand, especially when they ask their parents to get them a dog or a cat. In most cases, the parents will end up the individuals caring for the animal, which is not only time-consuming, but also rather regrettable given that most pets are offered as gifts, and the recipient is supposed to assume the responsibility for caring for them.

This is the reason why so many new house owners forego getting a pet. Why do they do that? On the one hand, the lack of space might prevent them from owning a dog in the first place. In case you didn’t know, even small terriers need a bit of room to stretch out their legs and do a bit of running here and there. Exercise is one of the most important parts of keeping your furry friend happy and healthy.

To save you some time, we’ve come up with a list of things you should take into account if you’re trying to decide on a pet, but you also want it to be as convenient and easy to manage as possible.

Small rodents

One of the best things about guinea pigs, hamsters, and even rabbits, is that they require little to nothing in the way of cleaning, maintenance, and the amount of space they need. A Siberian hamster is even easier to handle, and that’s because the pet itself is small enough for you to be able to acquire a quality cage. Besides, the food and substrates required for such pets are affordable.

Rabbits to need a little more space compared to guinea pigs and hamsters. They might even call for outdoor hutches, depending on the amount of comfort you’re willing to provide for them.

Reptiles

Not everyone is a snake lover, and that’s understandable. In fact, some people have true phobias when it comes to touching or even seeing such animals. While reptiles might not take up as much space as dogs or cats and might require nothing at all in the way of exercise, they’re not the easiest pets to care for.

Something that needs to be added regarding these animals, be they turtles, snakes, chameleons, or any other, is that they require UVA and UVB lighting. Their living spaces need to be kept clean so that they enable the pets to remain healthy. The lighting we were mentioning above is a must because reptiles are cold-blooded, so most require either a basking spot where they can warm their bodies or a higher temperature in the entirety of the terrarium. Moreover, some snakes can be expensive both when it comes to the actual species and to the supplies you’ll have to purchase.

Nonetheless, they are kept in cages, and so they won’t make any mess outside of their homes.

Are cats or dogs the logical option?

Like we noted at the beginning of the article, dogs require quite a bit of room to stretch out their legs and work out every day. By contrast, cats prefer to sit in warm spots and avoid moisture and water as best as possible. They eat smaller amounts of food even compared to small dog breeds, and their litter can be cleaned conveniently, especially if you opt for a self-cleaning litter box.

Compared to some of the other pets we have mentioned, dogs and cats are high-maintenance as they require more care.